Barefoot College founder Sanjit Bunker Roy passes away

Sanjit Bunker Roy, founder of the Social Work and Research Centre—commonly known as Barefoot College—passed away, marking the end of an era in India's social development sector. Roy established the organization in Tilonia, Rajasthan in 1972, creating an institution that would become a model for grassroots education and community empowerment across rural India.

Barefoot College gained international recognition for its distinctive approach to development work, focusing on training villagers—particularly women—in skills ranging from solar engineering to water conservation. The college's philosophy centered on the belief that formal education was not a prerequisite for acquiring practical knowledge and contributing meaningfully to community development.

Roy's work extended beyond India's borders, influencing development initiatives across South Asia and Africa. The institution he founded trained thousands of individuals from marginalized communities, equipping them with technical expertise and confidence to drive change in their own villages.

Under Roy's leadership, Barefoot College became a testament to alternative models of education and development, challenging conventional wisdom about who could be trained and what constituted valuable knowledge. His legacy continues through the ongoing work of the institution and the countless communities transformed by its initiatives.